(Colorado Newsline) Colorado state Rep. Jennifer Parenti announced Friday that she is dropping out of her bid for reelection in one of the state’s most competitive seats.

Parenti, a freshman Erie Democrat, will serve the rest of her term, which ends in early January. A vacancy committee that comprises Democrats in House District 19 will decide on a replacement for her on the November ballot.

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“While many factors have weighed into this decision, ultimately it comes down to this: I cannot continue to serve while maintaining my own sense of integrity. The two are simply incompatible,” she wrote in a statement.

“Unfortunately, personal agendas and special interests are still being rewarded at the expense of our districts, each other and the integrity of the body in which we serve. That these challenges are not new to Colorado politics is, for me, an insufficient excuse not to prioritize addressing them.”

She did not elaborate on the specifics of those personal agendas and special interests. She did not return a request for comment.

Parenti won the seat in 2022 when she beat former Republican state Rep. Dan Woog with 50.3% of the vote. She was set to face Woog once again this fall. The district leans 1.5 percentage points to the right, according to an analysis of recent election results. Republicans have already targeted it as a seat to flip. Democrats currently hold a wide majority, 46-19, in the House.

Two other freshman lawmakers, former Democratic Reps. Ruby Dickson and Said Sharbini, left their seats last year due to the political climate at the Capitol.

House Democratic leadership wished Parenti the best after she leaves the Legislature.

“I would like to thank Rep. Parenti for her service to Colorado and the nation. Being an elected official is an honor and a privilege and she proudly represented House District 19,” House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, said in a statement.

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